Patrick St. Michel - The Japan Times

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Patrick St. Michel

Patrick St. Michel is a Tokyo-based writer with a focus on Japanese music. He runs the blog Make Believe Melodies, which has focused on Japanese independent music since 2009. Besides The Japan Times, he also contributes to MTV 81 and The Atlantic.

Japan Times

CULTURE / Music

Apr 25, 2018

NHK pushes to define culture ahead of 2020 with some help from Perfume

With the Pyeongchang Olympics wrapped up, the spotlight has shifted to Tokyo ahead of the 2020 Games. The build up to the sporting spectacular is already well under way.

Japan Times

LIFE / Food & Drink / KONBINI WATCH

Apr 21, 2018

Baskin Robbins' 'Popping Shower' ice cream promises more pop

Baskin Robbins' ongoing tie-up with confectionery maker Fujiya has produced a bumper crop of tasty sweets available at convenience stores across the country. But so far, none of them have been particularly daring. The candies tend to highlight a pretty basic palette of flavors — chocolate, strawberry,...

CULTURE / Music / Sound Off

Apr 19, 2018

BTS is big, let's hope the hype helps other Asian acts

Earlier this month, an album sung mainly in Japanese landed on the U.S. Billboard 200 album chart at No. 43. That's a rare accomplishment for any Japanese artist — and an even less frequent one for a non-Japanese outfit to pull off.

Japan Times

LIFE / Food & Drink / KONBINI WATCH

Apr 14, 2018

Koikeya's 'strong' potato chips scream flavor, but do they deliver?

It takes a lot to stand out in the crowded Japanese chip market in 2018. The safest ways to catch a consumer's eye is to either embrace some sort of novelty flavor, or to go flat out on the hyperbole. With its new line of "strong" (all caps, that is) potato chips that promise a "punch" of flavor with...

Japan Times

JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse

Apr 14, 2018

Handbag hashtag turns tables on misogynist social media conversation

When does posting a photo on social media of something you use on a daily basis represent more than simply sharing a slice of your life with your followers?

Japan Times

CULTURE / Music

Apr 10, 2018

'I can only speak my own truth': Otoboke Beaver rocks tunes not politics

More than 100,000 people are expected to attend this month's Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in the Southern California desert. While heavyweight North American pop stars such as Beyonce and The Weeknd are grabbing the most attention, the lineup also features dozens of noteworthy names — including...

Japan Times

LIFE / Food & Drink / DESSERT WATCH

Apr 7, 2018

Sarabeth's PBJ French Toast is a twist on the classic brown-paper-bag lunch

More and more non-Japanese foods that were once impossible to find in Tokyo have become available in recent years. The quality can be hit or miss, but it is out there, waiting to be devoured. But what do you do when you get a craving for a comfort food that doesn't fit on a trendy menu, say for a peanut...

Japan Times

LIFE / Food & Drink / KONBINI WATCH

Mar 31, 2018

Kirin's 'Grapefruit Dog' is a refreshingly tasty take on the classic Salty Dog

Kirin has been going global recently. In 2017, the drink maker introduced an international-themed line of drinks to their main line of chūhai (shōchū and soda) beverages, featuring flavors inspired by far flung locations such as Havana, Barcelona and Texas.

Japan Times

JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse

Mar 24, 2018

Blog post sparks a constructive debate on office culture in Japan

One person’s cultural observations can be another’s daily gripes but, with any luck, they can lead to an enlightening debate. That was the case last week when a blog post about one non-Japanese individual’s experience working in the country’s information technology sector proved popular with...

Japan Times

LIFE / Food & Drink / DESSERT WATCH

Mar 24, 2018

With Le Chocolat, Alain Ducasse expands into the Japanese dessert market

The latest addition to Alain Ducasse's food empire also happens to be a first. Le Chocolat Alain Ducasse opens up in Nihonbashi on March 26 (Mon.), and marks the first outpost of the French-born chef's chocolate operation outside his home country.

Japan Times

CULTURE / Music / Sound Off

Mar 22, 2018

Just let Johnny's Jr. be Johnny's Jr.

Around 60 people gathered at YouTube Space Tokyo on Tuesday to welcome Johnny & Associates to the 21st century. It was a day before the launch of the talent agency's first official YouTube channel, devoted to its Johnny's Jr. acts. It's a huge development for a company that has viewed the web as one...

Japan Times

LIFE / Digital

Mar 22, 2018

It takes one to know one: How YouTuber Chris Okano built an agency to help his fellow J-vloggers

This past week, Japanese YouTube heavyweight Hikakin appeared on NHK's long-running business show "The Professionals" ("Professional: Shigoto no Ryugi") where he discussed the "new job" of being a YouTube content creator.

Japan Times

LIFE / Food & Drink / KONBINI WATCH

Mar 17, 2018

Ministop's 'Adult Tiramisu' a caffeinated delight unsuitable for kids

Ministop often gets overlooked when discussing convenience store chains in Japan. Due to the sheer number of outlets found across the country, the big three — Lawson, Seven-Eleven and Family Mart — tend to hog the attention (including from this column, which last sampled a Ministop exclusive ......

Japan Times

JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse

Mar 17, 2018

Reactions to GoPro sushi train video reflect gaps in etiquette between East and West

Every piece of content on the internet can be divisive these days, even the innocuous stuff. This truism was on full display over the past week and a half thanks to a now-removed YouTube video set in a Tokyo sushi restaurant, which charmed many Western viewers and angered a few Japanese.

Japan Times

LIFE / Food & Drink / DESSERT WATCH

Mar 10, 2018

Three Twins brings organic ice cream to Daikanyama

Much like it has in the rest of the world, organic eats are becoming a buzz food in Tokyo. More and more restaurants and stores in the capital are wheeling out the phrase and now it comes to ice cream.

Japan Times

CULTURE / Music

Mar 9, 2018

Rock act Chai has no time for your definition of 'cute'

The members of Chai aren't content with "kawaii." That word — meaning "cute," but in a kind of pitiable way — gets tossed around a lot in Japan and by people overseas, who use it to refer to almost anything Japanese.

Japan Times

CULTURE / Entertainment news / Sound Off

Mar 8, 2018

Net-shy Johnny's announces deal for online channel with YouTube

Internet-shy entertainment management company Johnny & Associates said Monday it will launch an official YouTube channel on March 21.

Japan Times

CULTURE / Music

Mar 8, 2018

SXSW offers opportunities for Japanese musicians to find their audience

The South By Southwest (SXSW) music conference and festival in Austin, Texas, has long been a destination for Japanese acts looking to get noticed in the U.S. market. This year's gathering, which runs March 12-18, presents more options than ever for Japanese acts to find their crowd.

Japan Times

LIFE / Food & Drink / KONBINI WATCH

Mar 3, 2018

Calbee gets beefy with Ikinari Steak flavored potato chips

Japanese restaurant chain Ikinari Steak accomplished two big milestones this past month. First, they opened their fourth store in New York, a big step forward in plans to expand internationally. Perhaps more importantly though, they teamed with snack maker Calbee to produce their own flavor of potato...

JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse

Mar 3, 2018

NHK puppet show offers a rare glimpse into unconventional lives

Arguably the best interview show on terrestrial TV at present stars a bunch of puppets exploring the often unexamined corners of Japanese society.

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.

Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Mount Fuji is considered one of Japan's most iconic symbols and is a major draw for tourists. It's still a mountain, though, and potential hikers need to properly prepare for any climb.

What it takes to save lives on Mount Fuji

By Alex K.T. Martin

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